Toy



E. B. SMITH.

TOY.

APPLICATION men FEB. 16. 1921.

qwgsa Patented 00$. 31, 1922.

Patented @ct. El, 1922.

5 f fiii fififi P "if EDGAR, BERT SMITH, OF BERVIYN, ILLINOIS.

TOY.

Application filed February 16, 1921. Serial No. 445,308.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR BERT SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Berwyn, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to toys.

It will be explained as applied to a toy which may be bestridden afterthe manner of the ordinary hobby-horse.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved toy.

Another object is to provide an attractive movable toy which is simpleof construction and may be cheaply manufactured.

Another object is to provide a toy to simulate or represent movablecommercial or natural objects.

Another object is to provide a toy of unit construction which may bereadily adapted for various representations or simulations.

Another object is to provide an improved and simplified motiontransmitting mechanism for toys.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

An embodiment of the invention as applied to a toy, representing orsimulating a flying machine, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan of the toy.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. '3 is an enlarged view of one of the details.

Fig. 4- is an enlarged view of the elements forming the coupling used inthe motion transmitting shaft, and

Fig. 5 is a section of the coupling in connected position.

In general the toy comprises a body unit and a head unit. The body unithas a frame carrying a wheel adapted to be moved over a tractive surfacesuch as the ground or floor, and mechanism for transmitting motion fromthe wheel to the front of the frame. The detachable head unit is shapedand has a movable element to simulate or represent some commercial ornatural object and has mechanism to transmit motion from the body unitto the movable element of the head unit.

The toy as embodied in a representation of a flying machine has a bodyunit including a bar 1 provided with a motion producing trailing wheel 2at its rear end, and a head unit which is detachahly secured to theforward end of the bar and is shaped and provided with a rotatablepropeller to simulate or represent a plane and propeller of a tractorflying machine.

The rear end of bar 1 has a block 4 secured thereto. Block lhas a bolt 5passing therethrough and on this bolt driving wheel 2 is rotatablymounted.

A friction wheel 6, which may be of wood, is carried on the end of amain shaft 7 and rests against trailing wheel 2 so that rotation of thetrailing wheel rotates the main shaft.

Shaft 7 may be made from a length of ratherv heavy wire. One end of thewire, after passing through the center of friction wheel 6 is bent intoshort c-rook 8. The point of this crook is driven into wheel 6, orinserted into a previously prepared hole therein, to prevent relativerotation between the shaft and wheel.

The upper end of shaft 7 is bent into one element 9 of a simpledetachable slip coupling (shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5) forconnecting the same to an extension shaft carried by the head unit.

The friction wheel is yieldingly held. against the trailing wheel andthe main shaft is journaled near its lower end by a bracket 10. Bracket10 may be formed from a length of wire similar to that composing themain shaft. The wire is bent into a loop or ring 11 at one end. A nailor screw 12 passing through this loop anchors the bracket to the underside of bar 1. The other end of the bracket wire is bent into a similarloop or ring 13 which forms a bearing for the main shaft.

A staple 14E straddling the bracket and driven into bar 1 prevents thebracket from rotating about nail 12 and holds the friction wheel againstthe trailing wheel. A suitable washer 15 reduces the friction betweenthe bracket and friction wheel and assists in retaining the parts inproper position and relation.

The bracket is sopositioned that the friction wheel is biased oryieldingly held against the trailing wheel with sufiicient force to givethe necessary amount of frietion to allow the trailing wheel to drivethe mechanism.

The upper or head end of the main shaft is journaled in a small bracket16, which may be made of wire similarly to the lower bracket and held inposition on the bar by a nail or screw 17 and a staple 18.

The head of the toy is constructed as a unit. which may berigidly butdetachably secured to the frame. 'It comprises a block 19 which isundercut on its rear lower side as most clearly shown in Fig. Thisconstruction provides a good support and seat for the end of bar 1. Thehead is fastened to bar l by a U-shaped metal strap 20 which is securedto the head by suitable means such as screws or bolts 21. A bolt 22,passing through openings in the strap and the frame, anchors'the headand body units together. A cotter pin 23 may be used to preventaccidental withdrawal of the bolt.

The connection between head and body units is strengthened by a staple24. As shown in Fig. 3 this staple may be made of wire bent :intosubstantially U-shape with inwardly projecting points 25. These pointsare driven into the head. Thebase of'the staple is bent into a ring 26which forms a bearing for the head extension shaft 27. Thus. staple 24,in addition to assisting in holding the head and body units rigidlytogether, journals one end of the extension shaft which forms a part ofthe head unit.

The forward end of block 19 is extended downwardly and provided with alongitudinally extending hole through which extension shaft 27 projects..To the forward end of extension shaft 27 a double blade propeller 28 ismounted. Shaft 27 passes through the center of the propeller and lllSend is bent back to form a hook whose point is driven into the propellerto key the two parts together- The other end of eigtension shaft 27 isprovided with a coupling element 29, similar to the one on the end ofthe main shaft. When the head and body umts are assembled, the twocoupling elements are axially fittedtogether as shown in Fig.

A plane 30, which may be made of wood and is shaped to simulate a planeof a flying machine is secured to the upper front end of block 19. Ahandle 31, in the form of a round stick passing througli block 19, isprovided for. holding the front of the toy from the ground-or floor.

When the toy is'carried alongv with its front end elevated'and itstrailing wheel on the ground or. floor, the rotation of the trailing ordriving wheel causes the rotation of the propeller, simulating theaction of a tractor flying machine.

The'frictional slip-connection between the trailing and" friction wheelsprovides a loose connection so that, if a chilclshould catch any part ofits body or clothes'in the propeller no injury will be done. Thejournaling and biasing action provided by the single bracket atthe rearofthe toy is accomplished by a piece of ordinary wire so that it isextremely simple and inexpensive.

The. unit construction of the head and body facilitates assembly andshipment. It is alsovv of advantage in meeting various demands sincealthough the head illustrated is to simulate a. flying machine, heads ofvarious kinds and for simulating or representing various objects may befitted to the frame.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters iatent, is I 1. A toy having a frame to be straddled by thelegs and supported by the/hands, a trailing wheel carried by one end ofthe frame and to be rotated by being drawn over a tractive surface, ahead on the other end of the frame and having a movable element tosimulate a desired object, a rota-' table shaft extending along theframefrom the trailing wheel to the movable element, and a frictionwheel carried by one end of the shaft and resiliently biased against thetrailing wheel so that rotation of the trailing wheel actuates themovable element.

2. A. toy comprising a body unit having a frame to be bestridden andsupported by the hands, a driving wheel carried by the frame adjacentone end and to be rotated by being carried along a tractive surface, andmotion transmitting mechanism to communicate motion from the drivingwheel to the other end of the frame; and-a detachable head unit having amovable element to simulate a desired object, and an extension shaft forconnection with said mechanism and to communicate motion therefrom tosaid ele- ,ment.

3. A toy comprising a frame to bebestridden and supported by the hands,a movable element carried by the frame and simulating a desired object,a trailing-"wheel carried by the frame and to be rotated by being movedover a tractive surface, a shaft interconnecting the trailing wheel andthe movable element, a friction wheel carried by the shaft, and a wireformed to provide a bearing fo r'the shaft and yieldinglyholding thefriction wheel to the trailing wheel.

l. A toy comprising a body unit having a frame, a trailing wheel carriedby the frame at the rear thereof and to be rotated by engagement with atractive surface, mechanism for transmitting motion from the trailingheel to the front end of the framev and a slip-coupling element on saidmechanism; and a detachable head unit shaped to simulate an objectandhaving a movable element to assist in the simulation, and mechanismincluding a slip-coupling element cooperating with the slip-couplingelement of the body unit for tarnsmitting motion of the trailing wheelfrom the body unit to the movable element of the head unit.

5. A toy comprising a bar, a driving wheel carried thereby to be rotatedby engagement with a tractive surface, a shaft extending along the barand journaled thereto a friction wheel secured to the shaft and engagingthe driving wheel, a plane simulating the plane of a flying machine, apropeller, and connections between the propeller and the shaft forcommunicating motion from the driving wheel to the propeller,

6. A toy comprising a bar to be bestridden and supported by the hands, adriving wheel carried by the bar adjacent one end thereof and to berotated by being carried along in engagement with a tractive surface, ashaft extending adjacent the bar, a friction wheel secured to the shaft,a resilient support for journaling the shaft and biasing the frictionwheel against the driving wheel, a simulating head secured to the bar,and a movable element carried by the head and interconnected with theshaft so that rotation of the driving wheel operates the movableelement.

7 A toy comprising a body unit having a main frame to be bestridden, adriving wheel carried thereby to be rotated by being moved along atractive surface, a shaft extending along the frame and journaledthereto, and a friction wheel secured to the shaft and held thereby inengagement with the driving wheel; and a head unit formed to simulate anobject and having a movable member carried thereby, and an extensionshaft for interconnecting the movable member of the head and the shaftof the body unit; and means for securing the head and body unitstogether.

8. A toy comprising a head unit having a movable element to simulate adesired object, a motion transmittin extension to communicate motion tosai movable element, and a coupling element for said eX- tension; and adetachable body unit having a frame, a driving wheel carried thereby andadapted to be rotated when moved over a tractive surface, motiontransmitting mechanism operatively associated with the wheel, and acoupling element for connection with the coupling element of the headunit when the same is connected to the body unit.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribed my name.

EDGAR BERT SMITH.

